1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a list search method that implements a quick search service without separate screen switching or complex input signals using a screen search area configured to display new search indexes, based on a currently specified index, to realize faster searching of large amounts of lists, and a mobile terminal that implements the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a terminal that supports various user functions, based on its mobility, and is used in a very wide range of fields due to its convenient use and its easy portability. In order to provide the user functions, known mobile terminal employs various input schemes. One conventional mobile terminal, for example, supports an input scheme by which certain characters or numerals can be input through a keypad or the like that is mechanically arranged on one side of the mobile terminal. Also, a mobile terminal may be limited in size for portability. In order to secure the appropriate size of a display unit, such a small-sized mobile terminal may support a touch screen with a touch panel arranged in the display unit while removing a keypad.
During known mobile terminal operation, various information input by a user and various information according to the use history of the mobile terminal can be output in a display unit. A conventional mobile terminal, for example, may collect information on call logs recorded according to radio frequency applications and output the collected information in the display unit at the request of the user. Typically, this type of call log information provided by the mobile terminal includes a minimum of several hundred lists to a maximum of several thousand lists, although the number of lists varies with terminal options. Such large volume makes it difficult to accurately locate a list desired by a user from among these numerous lists. In addition, since conventional mobile terminals perform file searching based on information input directly by the user, such direct input is problematic in that screen switching is required for the file search, and in that use of a keypad to input information is at times difficult and challenging.